This week, the American Express returns to the desert for the 64th consecutive year.
It’s time to address the elephant in the room. It’s time for us to discuss the impact LIV Golf has on the desert’s PGA Tour event.
Hudson Swafford (defending American Express champion), will not be playing this week as he has left the PGA Tour to play LIV Golf. Three other former champions will also be absent, Pat Perez, Phil Mickelson, and Patrick Reed.
Mickelson was a two-time La Quinta winner. He also hosted the American Express tournament for three years. However, it wasn’t clear that he would be hosting the 2022 tournament. After last year’s tournament, Mickelson might have stepped down as the tournament’s host. However, Mickelson and his foundation were shown the door by the PGA Tour after his comments about the Saudi Arabians behind LIV tour and Mickelson’s reasons for dealing with “scary” people to reshape PGA Tour.
There are also a few LIV players who are not on the field, such as Abraham Ancer or Kevin Na. What does this all mean for 2023 American Express?
It’s not so bad, actually.
American Express employees can only play the hand that they are dealt. That means there is no Mickelson, Swafford, or any other players. In poker terms, the American Express has a live hand.
Mickelson is not a marquee player at the tournament. He has been very popular with desert fans but not with tournament officials. Mickelson, 52 years old, and well into his prime, would still sell tickets to the event.
Swafford will not be there early in the week to talk about his wins in the desert, weather, and the golf courses.
The American Express will continue as it has always been. The storylines will include talented golfers, interesting courses, and perhaps some sketchy weather in the early hours of the week.
However, that doesn’t mean LIV golfers can’t be great players. Some of them are great players and would make a huge addition to any tournament around the globe. They may not have all played in the desert before, but the tournament can move along with those golfers who haven’t been suspended and are committed to the event.
Mickelson is the missing piece this week, and it is very difficult to replace him. Mickelson is a World Golf Hall of Famer, and will be remembered as one of the greatest players in the history of this Tour. Men with this resume don’t just fall from trees.
Reed is an American Express winner, and a former Masters champion. Scottie Scheffler is the current Masters champion and past Masters winners Danny Willett, Zach Johnson, are also in the La Quinta field.
Jon Rahm is back as one of the most popular players in the game. Rahm, the 2018 American Express champion, just won his eighth PGA Tour tournament. He is fresh off a year of winning the PGA Tour as well as the DP World Tour, and looks primed to challenge for a second major title.
Patrick Cantlay is one of the top players in the game. Xander Schauffele, Will Zalatoris, and Will Cink are also entered. You will also find rising stars like Sahith Theegala and Tom Kim, as well as accomplished veterans like Stewart Cink, Justin Rose, and many more.
It’s okay to be on both sides of the LIV vs PGA Tour debate. The key thing about PGA Tour events is that they have incredibly deep fields. They are deeper than the LIV fields. The PGA Tour events can be seen on television.
We may not know the outcome of LIV vs. PGA Tour until a court case is scheduled for next year. The American Express cannot wait. The tournament will host a 72-hole tournament worth $8 million, with the goal of raising more than $1million for Coachella Valley charities.
American Express, tournament officials, and volunteers will all be doing that this week, whether or not there are LIV players. Maybe in 2024, everyone will come together to make amends and be happy being in the Coachella Valley in January.
